FAQ

How long have you been blogging?

I hit “publish” on my first blog post in September 2013, but personal posts slowly morphed into food posts. In April 2014, I published my first official recipe blog post, and two months later in June, Fresh April Flours was born. If you’re interested in starting your own blog, check out my resource page for How To Start A Blog.

I tried a recipe and it didn’t work. What went wrong?

I always suggest my readers run through a recipe before putting it into action in the kitchen. I work hard to create recipes that are easy to follow, presenting you with clear instructions, pictures when I feel they are necessary, and explanations of steps that may be tricky. That being said, it’s hard to say exactly what went wrong when you tried it. My recipes work for me as written, so if you made any kind of substitutions (aside from my suggestions), it’s hard to pinpoint the problem. If you experience trouble, please let me know exactly what it is that didn’t seem to work, and we can try to find the source of the issue together.

Can I make ingredient substitutions in your recipes?

Unless you have extensive experience making specific substitutions (such as gluten free flour for regular flour, Splenda for regular sugar, etc.), I don’t suggest you make any when you follow my recipes. Often times, anywhere I have ingredients like almond milk, semi-sweet chocolate chips, creamy peanut butter– things that come in a lot of varieties– you can most certainly make this kind of substitution easily with cow’s milk, milk chocolate chips, or chunky peanut butter. Use your best judgement here. Other than basic substitutions, I can’t guarantee your recipe won’t end up in a flop. If you make a substitution and it’s a success, I would love to hear about it! Leave me a comment on the recipe or shoot me an e-mail.

Can I get your recipes e-mailed to me?

You sure can! Enter your e-mail address into the blue box in the header of my blog. I look forward to having you as a subscriber!

Do you include nutritional information in your recipes?

Occasionally, I will include it if I find it relevant (such as my breakfast smoothie and that I worked hard to make nutrient rich), but otherwise, no. Most of the recipes I have here are meant to be enjoyed and not counted for calories. If you really need to know, search for a calorie/macronutrient calculator online. My suggestion is MyFitnessPal.

Do you eat everything you bake?

Of course! I would never present you with a recipe I didn’t actually try, nor one that I didn’t actually enjoy. I want to be able to describe to you exactly what it is you’re going to taste when you try my recipe. I wouldn’t be able to do that if I didn’t actually consume what I worked so hard to create.

Well, then… How do you stay healthy?

As much as I love to bake (and eat!), I also really love to work out and stay well. My husband and I both live very healthy lifestyles that consist of consuming specific macronutrients throughout the day and extremely regimented workouts. We know that desserts are special “sometimes” foods, and that’s why we try my recipes and then share the wealth. My creations get distributed to my coworkers, our neighbors, and sometimes donated to the local food bank. We like to spread the love! Because let’s be honest– no one needs to eat an entire batch of blueberry lemon pie bars… Although it would be pretty tempting… ????

I see you have some gluten free recipes. Are you gluten intolerant?

I do not follow a gluten free lifestyle, but I know many people who do. I don’t have much experience with this kind of baking/cooking, but sometimes I will go through a list of ingredients for a recipe and discover “hey! I think this is gluten free!” I would love to gain more experience with this type of baking/cooking in the future, so if you have any favorite recipes, send them my way! Browse through my recipe index if you’re interested in my complete collection of gluten free recipes.

Do you have some favorite kitchen tools and ingredients?

Absolutely! Please refer to my Kitchen Favorites page for a complete list of the ingredients I love and always have on hand. For a complete list of the kitchen equipment I use, please visit my Amazon store.

Can I use one of your recipes or photos?

Recipes are meant to be shared. That’s the whole reason I started this blog! However, I work very hard developing recipes, baking them, photographing them, editing the pictures, and blogging about all of it for my readers. Please honor that. If you would like to use a recipe, by all means use it. I just ask that you republish the recipe in your own words, publish your own photos of it, and link directly back to my recipe. If you would like to use my photos, please do not remove my watermark as all of my photos are legally protected by a copyright. If you’re unsure, it doesn’t hurt to e-mail me directly.

What kind of camera do you use?

As of December 2014, I shoot all of my photos with a Nikon D7000. I mostly use my 50mm f/1.8 lens, but often use my 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 lens as well. Previously, I had been using a Nikon P520 shooting in manual mode. That camera did me very well, but it was time to upgrade! If you are interested in working with me regarding my food photography, please find that information on my Food Photography page.

Who designed your website?

Robin Bennett from Grits Design redid my entire website in May 2016. She is fast, affordable, and incredibly talented.

Do you have a cookbook?

I currently have one cookbook (The Chow Down) for sale. It is a cookbook full of 20+ puppy chow recipes. Order your copy today and get snacking!